


into the unknown

by Aberial_63



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Flowers, Frozen 2 AU, Magic, Mutual Attraction, Slow Burn, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:28:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21816649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aberial_63/pseuds/Aberial_63
Summary: A mysterious voice calls to the magical Queen Maia. When she follows it, she finds more beauty, and more danger, than she ever could have imagined. In the midst of it all, she learns to embrace herself and the power you can find by following your heart
Relationships: Clary Fray/Maia Roberts
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6
Collections: shadowhunters sapphic ficathon, shadowhunters sapphic library





	1. the ephemeral girl

**Author's Note:**

> okay listen, it's 12:54 in the morning and i didn't mean for this to happen. this was meant to be a one shot for a ficathon prompt, but things spiralled out of control and now apparently i'm writing a multichapter fic (something i am notoriously bad at). just stay with me through this and we'll make it work, i promise.
> 
> prompt for ficathon: "flowers"
> 
> the title and general plot (mostly of the first chapter... things diverge as the plot continues) are based on the song/scene from frozen 2 -- "into the unknown" by idina menzel and aurora

It was calling to her. Maia had been trying to ignore it all week, but it was growing louder and more difficult to pretend it didn’t exist. It was a voice—a girl singing to her.

Maia shoved her head under her pillow, hoping to drown it out. All she wanted to do was go to sleep and forget about everything except her down comforter and the plush mattress beneath her body. Ruling a country required getting a good night’s rest and the voice was keeping her away from that.

The voice refused to quiet, as if it was plunging directly into her skull and swirling around amongst her neurons. Maia couldn’t escape it no matter how hard she tried.

There was no point in trying to ignore it anymore. It clearly wasn’t getting the message that Maia wasn’t interested in whatever it was trying to pull her towards. She’d have to be a bit more explicit then.

“I know you can hear me too,” Maia whispered as she tossed her pillow away in frustration. “So I’ll just tell you this: I don’t care. You can sing and sing and I won’t come. You can just give it up.”

The voice continued unbothered and unconvinced.

“I mean it,” Maia persisted. “I can’t come looking for you. I have too much that I need to take care of here. I can’t go traipsing off into the unknown just because some random voice tells me to. I have people who rely on me and I can’t just abandon them because you want me to find you, whoever you are.”

Maia listened for a moment. It was quiet, the only sound was a breeze rustling the leaves of the trees outside of her window. Maybe she had done it, discouraged the voice from reaching out again.

The voice returned, sounding even more impassioned.

Maia groaned, orange sparks flying from her fingers. She rolled out of bed and walked out onto her balcony, the voice blaring in her ears. 

Something deep in her wanted to give in. Not just to make the singing stop, but to see what it was, to see where it led her. When she had first heard the voice, she’d feared that the voice was going to hurt her, that it was an omen for an ominous and yet-to-be-seen future. After the initial shock, Maia wasn’t scared of it anymore. It didn’t feel threatening or malicious. It felt enticing, heady in a way that frightened Maia more than the voice’s intentions. Maia could so easily get lost in the voice, let it carry her away and guide her feet as they took her towards the voice.

But she couldn’t do that. Maia had worked so hard her whole life to not let her emotions get the best of her, to keep her head on straight so no one would know about her magic. For better or worse, self-restraint had been drilled into her DNA. She had to keep herself in check and be the queen she was meant to be, the one she was born to be. Even though her powers had finally been revealed to her subjects and they have learned to accept her for who she is, the habit to hold back hadn’t been broken yet. No matter how the voice called to her, Maia couldn’t follow it. She had to fulfill her duty to her people, and that meant staying right here and giving herself to them completely, even on the days when all she wanted to do was run away. 

“Just go away,” Maia hissed into the night air, shooting warning sparks out of her hands. She watched them fly towards the horizon and disappear against the inky blue sky.

Of course, the voice just sang back at her in response.

“What are you not getting?” Maia shouted, fed up with the voice’s insistence and at herself for wanting to succumb. “I can’t go. There is nothing you can do to make me leave my kingdom for you. I don’t even know who, or what, you are! Why should I look for you? You’re nothing but a voice in the wind! You’re not real! If you were, you’d be brave enough to show yourself to me instead of haunting me from so far away! If you really wanted me, you would come and get me!”

Maia’s chest heaved and her balcony had been scorched under her palms. Maia stumbled back until she hit the palace wall. She slid down defeatedly, the stone cool against her bare and overheated skin. She ran her hands through her hair as the voice sang again, something softer about it now. Almost like it was hesitant to press Maia in that moment. Maybe it could sense how distraught she was. 

When she glanced down, Maia noticed pink and blue flower petals swirling around her forearms, carried by a wind that Maia couldn’t feel. Something deep in her told her that they were from the voice. She’d dared it to show itself and apparently this was the best it could do. They skimmed her skin comfortingly.

“Why me? Why do you need  _ me  _ to come?”   
  


The petals brushed her face.

“Do you know?” Maia asked brokenly. “Do you know that I don’t belong here?”

Maia had been trying for years to repress the feeling that she wasn’t meant to be here. Her magic was always nagging at her bones, trying to drag her somewhere she didn’t know. It had been a fight since the day her powers had manifested to stay here, to be with her family and her people. Especially after her parents’ deaths and finally embracing her powers, the war inside of her had grown fiercer. Did she follow in their footsteps and be a dutiful daughter? Or did she let her magic lead her somewhere that Maia knew would feel more like home? Was that where the voice was leading her?

The voice sang again.

“Okay, little siren, do you know where I  _ do  _ belong? Is that where you want me to go? Is that where you are?”

The petals jumped excitedly in the air before Maia’s eyes. They then travelled down to her wrists, circling them in a flowery chain. With a surprising force, they pulled Maia back to her feet and to the edge of the balcony. They released her and flew away.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Maia called, watching as the petals drifted towards the wide open fields that surrounded the kingdom. They drew Maia’s eyes towards a line of brightly glowing flowers that grew far into the distance. Maia imagined they were a path for her to follow, guiding her away to a magical land that would welcome her with open arms. Maybe that’s exactly what they were.

The flowers blinked in shades of fuchsia and cobalt, urging her to come to them. 

Maia hesitated. Could she do this? Could she let go and chase after the voice?

Maia took a deep breath and leapt off the balcony.

She used her magic to slow her fall, landing gracefully on the ground. Her heart was pounding. She pumped her arms and sprinted towards the fields. She was tired of holding back, of being careful. She wanted something to make her blood race, to make her pulse leap in her chest. This could be exactly what she needed. 

Maia reached the field and the floating petals were waiting for her, and the voice grew strong again in her ears, beckoning her forward. As she passed the first in the line of flowers, its petals detached from the stem and joined the other petals in the air. Another step and more petals swirled around her. Maia smiled and started running again, the flower petals flying at her heels. She laughed gleefully as they tickled her arms and got tangled in her dark curls. The voice brightened as if it was laughing along with her, enjoying the chance to play alongside Maia. 

Maia watched in awe as the petals began taking on shapes before her eyes. A bright pink stag galloped beside her, blue petals falling from its horns whenever it would shake its head joyfully. Maia held out her fingers to skim the animal’s body. A glowing owl flew over her head, flapping its majestic wings just out of Maia’s reach. Maia used her magic to send up a purple, shimmering hawk to fly alongside the owl. The two birds weaved through the sky in unison, turning and flipping and soaring around one another. 

The queen let her magic flow freely from her fingers, forgetting about the self-control and fear that had plagued her adolescence. Every streak of blue and green and yellow that she sent out into the world revitalized her a little bit more. She felt stronger with every ounce of magic that she used, like using her powers only made them grow ten times in size. 

Maia felt  _ alive.  _

The flowers led her towards the edge of a cliff that overlooked the ocean. The petals were gathering just beyond the reach of the cliff. Maia watched as they formed a set of long legs, dainty arms, and a flowing head of hair. It was a girl. Maia knew that it must be the owner of the voice.

The girl danced through the air, her flower petal mouth smiling as she twirled. She was captivating in how fluidly she moved and how her voice curled around Maia like a physical embrace. Maia couldn’t take her eyes off of her.

The girl noticed her staring and drifted towards Maia, landing right at the end of the cliff. She held her hand out and Maia felt drawn in by a sort of magnetic force. She couldn’t have stopped herself from going to the girl if she’d tried. 

Maia let her fingers press gently into the girl’s palm, afraid that she would blow away in the wind if Maia touched her too hard. But she didn’t blow away. In fact, she started glowing brighter and she moved closer to Maia’s body. Surprisingly, Maia could feel warmth radiating from the ephemeral girl before her. 

“Who are you?” Maia breathed.

The girl’s only response was the same song that had been playing in Maia’s head for days. 

“Where are you?” Maia tried again.

The girl ran her left hand along Maia’s cheek, equal parts mischievous and enticing, before running off through the field. 

“Wait up!” Maia called, giggling as she tore off after the mysterious girl. Every so often she would look back at Maia, as if to say  _ Come get me. Chase me. You have to come find me. _

Every time she would try to grab the girl, the petals would slip through Maia’s fingers and the girl would dart off in a different direction. It was an absurd game of tag, but Maia couldn’t stop smiling so hard her face hurt. Something about this girl made Maia feel free like she never had before.

They went on like this until the girl started running back towards the cliff’s edge. Maia, not thinking, kept running after her. It was too late when she saw how close she was to the drop-off. Maia couldn’t slow down and her body started to teeter off the edge. Maia gasped.

She didn’t fall though. The girl had caught her just in time, her floral hands steadying Maia and nudging her fully back onto solid ground. Maia smiled sheepishly.

“Oops,” she shrugged.

The girl’s features scrunched into an expression of fond amusement. Gods, she was gorgeous. Even though Maia couldn’t make out her face in perfect detail, Maia just knew that she was beautiful in person. Maia wanted to hold her, to reach out and touch the flowery planes of her face, to run her hands through the pink and blue tresses of her hair. 

And she almost did, absolutely would have if the girl hadn’t started backing away.

“No, wait,” Maia said. “Where are you going?”

The girl didn’t respond, turning to skip back across the ocean. Her voice started growing softer in Maia’s ears.

“How do I find you?” Maia yelled.

Again, there was no reply, but the girl’s petals began to fall onto the ocean’s surface until her shape disappeared completely. The petals were undisturbed by the calm sways of the waves and remained in a straight line leading to a point that Maia could not see. The petals still glowed faintly in the darkness. If Maia ever wanted to see this girl again, she’d have to follow the flower petals.

After that night, there was no way Maia could ignore her siren’s song. Maia was going to leave her kingdom, at least for a little while, and she was going to find the voice. Maybe, along the way, she’d also find where she really belonged.


	2. the enchanted forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maia finds the mysterious voice and discovers why she was summoned

Maia set out the next morning. She told her best friend, Magnus, to look after the people in her absence. She didn’t know how long the journey would take, but she knew her country would be in good hands.

The journey on her boat was brief, the petals only leading her to a small island about a hundred miles off her country’s coast. It was surrounded by a thick mist, and Maia almost lost the trail in the midst of it, but she focused on the tinge the glowing flowers gave to the vapor and kept on. The island that was revealed after the mist parted was magnificent. It was a thick forest made of trees bright with autumn’s colors. Massive, moss-covered rocks bordered the coastline like the island’s first line of defense. The water was so blue that Maia could see hundreds of little fish swimming under the waves.

She followed the flowers into the woods. As she walked, she’d sometimes catch a swirl of petals flying through the air out of the corner of her eye. Maia would smirk to herself because she knew the girl was checking in on her to see how much progress she’d made. Every so often, she would hear the girl’s song in her head as if she was calling out to Maia in impatience. Maia thought she might be as excited to meet Maia as Maia was to meet her.

After two hours of walking, Maia started to hear voices. They were singing the same song the girl had been singing in Maia’s head for days. Except now, it was definitely coming from outside of Maia’s brain. Maia quickened her pace. She was so close to getting some answers about what had been happening with her, about who she was. 

Maia emerged from the thicket and her breath was stolen from her chest. Before her there was a community made of small cottages. People were bustling busily around the town and children chased each other giddily around the courtyard. A choir seemed to be singing the mysterious song as other people went about their tasks. There were long tables set up in a patch of grass off to the side of the cobblestone paths. Wreaths of pink and blue flowers were on every door. It seemed the town was preparing for a celebration.

“She’s here!” Maia heard a voice yell.

Then, before she could even realize that they were talking about her, she was swarmed by the little kids, whose parents were not far behind. They tugged at her shirt and they all spoke at once.

“Are you the queen?”

“Can you turn my brother into a frog?”

“Can you show us some magic?”

Maia was so overwhelmed she didn’t know how to even respond. She hadn’t been expecting this kind of welcome at all. 

“Okay, little ones, why don’t we give the queen her space?”

Immediately, the kids backed away and scurried back to cling to their mothers’ skirts.

Maia raised her eyes to find who had spoken. 

Oh, it was her. It was the girl.

“Hi,” Maia breathed.

“Hello,” she said, a soft smile curving her lips.

She was beautiful, just like Maia had known she would be. Her hair was a deep red, like a blazing sunset. She wore it in loose waves except for a single braid that she had tucked behind her ear and that had dainty white flowers woven into it. Her eyes were greener than any summer forest that Maia has seen despite the slight bags under them. Her skin was pale but rich with life. 

“You’re the one who’s been keeping me up all night with that infuriating song then?” Maia asked.

The girl’s smile became even wider, her eyes crinkling at the corner and her cheeks going rosy. Maia found herself smiling back.

“That is correct. I apologize for my, er, importunity, but I was desperate for your attention and it is much harder to send actual words using my spell. Our village song was a bit easier to translate over such a large distance.”

“Fair enough,” Maia chuckled. “So who are you?”

“My name is Clarissa Fairchild, but you are welcome to call me Clary. All of my people do. I am High Priestess of the Enchanted Forest. I am my village’s main connection to the Forest’s magic.”

“So you have magic too?” Maia asked eagerly. She’d never met another person with powers like hers. She had so many questions.

“Not exactly,” Clary replied. “I don’t have any magic of my own, but I was chosen by the Forest to act as a sort of conduit for the magic at the heart of our island. I utilize the magic that already exists here in our soil, our plants, our air. It surrounds us completely and I just bring out for our use. My abilities are limited in that way. I can only take what the Forest is willing to give me.”

Maia furrowed her brow. Is that what she was actually doing? It had always felt so…  _ internal  _ to Maia. Like it was a part of her.

Clary seemed to understand Maia’s expression.

“It’s not like your magic, Maia. Unlike me, the Forest gave you magic for yourself. The Forest gave you a part of itself as a gift. It belongs entirely to you now.” Clary reached out and ran her fingers down Maia’s forearms, making her shiver. “It’s in your veins, in your bones. I can feel it coming off of you in waves, almost like a heartbeat.”

“Why?” Maia questioned. “Why did the Forest choose  _ me?  _ I’m nothing special.”

Clary tilted her head. “I don’t have the answers you’re looking for. The Forest has not revealed to me why it gave you powers yet, but perhaps we will find out one day. However, I have never known the Forest to give gifts to those who are not worthy of them.”

Clary squeezed Maia’s hands in her own before drawing back. Clary seemed so warm, like you could just fall into her and know you were safe. 

“That still doesn’t tell me what I’m doing here. Why did you summon me, Clary?”

Clary frowned a little, but it didn’t last. She was hesitant to speak. Why?

“We can talk about that tonight after the banquet. I’m sure you’re tired after your journey and we’ve prepared an abundance of food in preparation for your arrival. You can relax for a short while before we talk about that. Come, dine with us.”

Maia eyed her warily but followed dutifully as Clary led her to the wooden tables she had noticed earlier. Maia wanted to trust Clary, but her secrecy made Maia worry. What was Clary hiding and for what reason? Was it actually serious or was Maia getting anxious for no reason? No, Maia had always had good instincts. Something was going on and it wasn’t good.

The meal was long and bountiful. Her glass was never empty, filled to the brim with spiced hot cider. Her plate was piled high with dishes that Maia didn’t know the name of, but would always call her back in for another bite. She’d thought her palace had the best chefs in the world, but clearly they could take a few notes from the people of the Enchanted Forest. 

The people chatted around her, some stopping to ask Maia questions about herself and where she’s from. The little kids would shout to her from their table, mouths half full, and ask her to show them a magic trick. She always obliged, sending little, bouncing sparks of energy towards them to run along their arms and tickle their chins. Maia would laugh as the kids burst into fits of giggles, relishing the joy that her powers were capable of bringing. After fearing them for so long, it was refreshing to find people who saw them as something wonderful rather than something threatening. After performing her tricks, she’d always see Clary smiling out of the corner of her eye. 

Maia and Clary talked for a majority of the meal. Clary shared the history of the Enchanted Forest, the story of how she had become High Priestess, and anecdotes from the daily lives of her people. Maia was in awe of her, of how someone so full of light could still lead a village with dignity. Maia had always equated leadership with a sense of detachment, restraint, but Clary opposed those notions. The way she spoke about her people was so intimate, more like confidant to them than a queen. She knew their stories, their woes, their lives. She lived among them as an equal and yet she could still be a person that they followed without hesitation, a person that had earned their respect. Maybe that was why Maia had never felt comfortable being queen. She had locked herself away for so many years. How could she rule people if she didn’t even know them?

Maia explained her life in the palace, growing up with powers she didn’t understand and that she could barely control. Something about Clary made Maia feel safe enough to open up about everything. About not having any friends except Magnus when she was growing up because she was afraid they’d think she was a freak. About how she’d nearly burnt down her room with her magic after learning of her parents’ deaths. About running away from her kingdom last year after she’d let her grip on her magic slip and accidentally revealing her powers to her subjects on her coronation day. Everything.

The whole meal Maia felt more heard than she had in a long time. Clary was endlessly attentive and receptive to Maia’s stories. Clary could read Maia’s emotions so well and whenever she sensed Maia slipping into a darker place, she would pull her back with a soft smile and a hand on her forearm. Her touch would ground Maia and bring her back to herself; Maia wondered if that was some kind of calming Forest magic or if that was just the effect Clary had on her. Either way, speaking to Clary that night was a different brand of relief, like she was finally starting to let go of a weight that had been long heavy on Maia’s heart.

The sun quickly set on the feast, but the festivities were far from over. Clary started a roaring bonfire in the courtyard to illuminate the village. The choir started singing again, a more upbeat song this time, and the villagers began to dance. It was wild and free in a way that Maia had always longed to be. They danced with no inhibition, as if it wasn’t even them swaying, but the wind twirling them around the courtyard. 

Maia stayed off to the side, unsure of how to join them. She knew be an awkward, clumsy mess next to them. She would only make a fool out of herself. 

“Oh, no. Absolutely not.”

Maia tore her eyes away from the crowd to see Clary standing before her.

“Excuse me?”

Clary smirked as she walked towards Maia.

“You absolutely cannot just stand by and watch during your own party. You have to dance.”

Maia crossed her arms firmly over her chest.

“No way, Clary. I’m not going out there just to make an ass of myself.”

Clary reached out and tugged on Maia’s folded arms until they were loose between them. She started leading Maia towards the bonfire.

“You won’t, I promise, but you need to come dance. Are you really going to make me dance all by myself?”

Clary gave her the biggest doe eyes Maia had ever seen and she couldn’t find it in her to push Clary away. Just one dance to placate the priestess and then Maia would return to the sidelines.

“Fine,” Maia grumbled. 

If Maia thought she could get away with a lacklusterly stepping from one foot to the other in time with the music, it seemed she was sorely mistaken. Clary raised her eyebrow disapprovingly as she took Maia’s hand in hers. She drew Maia in and laid her other hand against Maia’s waist. 

“Like this,” Clary said, demonstrating how to move to the beat. 

Maia couldn’t stop herself from smiling as Clary guided her into a lively one-step. Maia’s muscles relaxed under Clary’s gentle grip. It was easy to give in to Clary’s will when every step Maia took made her grin like Maia was the most unexpected joy of her life. Maia felt kind of drunk as Clary spinned her between the other dancers and dipped her with a surprising strength.

Maia felt like she had that night out in the fields of her kingdom. Dancing with Clary felt as free as chasing her flowered form through the grass had. Every time Clary would pull Maia back in felt like a dare for Maia to come closer, to chase her around the dance floor with unbridled zeal. Everything about the dance felt full of energy, similar to how Maia felt after giving her magic a good workout that night—slightly winded and buzzing in the best way possible. 

For a moment, the queen wondered if she could taste the life on the priestess’ lips.

The pair danced until late in the night when the parents ushered their kids off to bed and the plates were cleared from the tables. It was only when the bonfire started to fizzle out and the choir stopped their singing that the girls drew apart. Maia was soaked in sweat and her feet ached slightly in her boots, but she didn’t care. She was glowing. Clary looked just as disheveled and just as happy.

“Come on, I’ll show you to my home. You can stay with me for the night,” Clary said, motioning for Maia to follow her.

“Oh, really?” Maia asked suggestively, only halfway teasing.

“Not like that,” Clary said, her cheeks going red.

Maia walked by her side to a cottage at the edge of the village, right up against the Forest’s edge. Inside, it was modest but cozy. With a flick of Clary’s hand, the fireplace came to life. Clary led Maia to the couch before putting a pot of water over the flames. She retrieved a blanket and a pillow for Maia from another room. They sat in peaceful silence until the water boiled. Clary brewed some herbal tea and handed a mug to Maia, then returned to her seat beside Maia on the sofa.

Maia was unsure of what happened now. She would stay the night here, but what would happen tomorrow? Did Clary expect her to become a resident of the Enchanted Forest, leave her people behind? Was Maia supposed to know why she was here? The celebration had been fun, but clearly she was here for something else, but what exactly was that? 

“Clary, tell me why I am here,” Maia said. It wasn’t a question, but a demand. No more avoiding it. Maia had to know and Clary was going to tell her. 

Clary sighed and placed her mug on the side table.

“For a while now, I have felt the Forest growing uneasy. At first, it was just a prickling feeling on the back of my neck, like the Forest was shifting to get more comfortable except it was  _ always _ shifting, never able to settle. I could feel it in my magic too. But lately, the feeling has only grown stronger. I barely sleep most nights because I can feel the Forest churning, right down to the island’s core. Something is wrong with the Forest, Maia.”

“What is it?” Maia asked.

Clary wrung her hands together.

“I’m not sure,” Clary admitted. “I just feel it getting more and more unsettled with each day that passes. I’ve tried to help, but there is only so much I can do when the Forest refuses to give me enough magic to do anything significant. It knows it cannot give me too much without hurting itself so it won’t let me help. I don’t even think the Forest knows what is happening and that is what scares me the most. Ever since I was a child, I could always turn to the Forest for answers, for guidance, but now… Maia, I don’t know what to do now that I don’t have all the answers. How am I supposed to fix this if I don’t even know what’s wrong?”

“Is that why you brought me here? Because you thought I could help?”

Clary nodded.

“You have magic that lives within you. You don’t need to ask permission to use it. I thought maybe you would be able to find out what’s wrong since the Forest is shutting me out. Once you figure that out, I was hoping we could fix it together.”

Maia considered what Clary was suggesting for a minute. Could she do this? She was still figuring out exactly how her powers worked. Did she even know how to reach out to the Forest? Besides the magic that ran through her veins, Maia had no connection to the Forest. Would it even let her close enough to see the problem? Was Maia the only person who could do this?

“Clary, I’m not sure I can do this. I’m still learning how to use my magic. I still need to practice. I want to help you, but I don’t know if I can,” Maia replied.

“I could teach you,” Clary said. “I could walk you through it all. You may be inexperienced, but you’re strong and I know you could do it. Please, my people could suffer if we don’t find out what’s happening and put an end to it. Maia, maybe this is why the Forest gave you magic. Maybe it knew that sometime soon it would need a hero and it chose you.”

That responsibility was… immense. There was a village, an island, relying on her to be what they needed. Clary was relying on her. 

Maia had never been good at sitting back, making decisions from afar and hoping they led to positive changes. She had never felt like she was meant for that. Was this what she was meant for, then? Was she meant to be a  _ hero _ , on the ground and fighting for others? Something about that felt equal parts terrifying and thrilling. It felt like walking into a pitch black cave, full of unknowns, but it felt  _ right. _

“Alright,” Maia said, taking Clary’s hand. “I will do my best.”

Clary’s features brightened.

“You’ll help us?” she asked.

Maia nodded. “I can’t explain it, but I think I was meant for this. I’m going to try. I can’t promise I will succeed, but I can’t walk away without making an attempt to heal the Forest.”

“Thank you, Maia,” Clary breathed before pulling Maia into a rib-crushing hug. She kissed Maia’s cheek gratefully. Maia’s body went hot and she leaned into the touch. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Maia laughed, inhaling the floral scent of Clary’s hair. “I haven’t done anything.”

“Oh, don’t you see?” Clary responded. “You’ve done something so important. You made the decision to stand for those who can’t stand for themselves. You’re being so incredibly brave just by taking this first step. I owe you so much.”

Maia blushed and backed out of the embrace slightly. Clary’s hands lingered on Maia’s shoulders, stroking her skin absently in dizzying patterns. Maia was still close enough to see the reflection of the fire flickering in her deep green irises. Maia pushed her words around a sudden lump in her throat.

“You don’t owe me anything except your presence. I won’t be able to do this without you, Clary. I need you as much as you need me here. If you’re by my side throughout all of this, I’ll call us even, okay?”

Clary chuckled and gazed tenderly at Maia.

“Yeah, I think I can do that,” she murmured.

“Perfect,” Maia said. “For now, I think we should both go to bed. We can continue this in the morning, alright?”

Maia really didn’t want Clary to go, but she needed to sleep after all she’d had to process tonight.

“Of course,” Clary said hastily, rising to her feet. “You must be exhausted. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She started walking to the hallway.

“Goodnight, Clary,” Maia called softly.

Clary turned back, her eyes roaming Maia’s face for a second.

“Goodnight, Maia.”


End file.
